


Flight

by ShadowHaloedAngel



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Don't you hate reputations you can't shake, Introspection, M/M, Steve's rambles in his mind, The press is a pain, Tony is a playboy, only not really, shameless fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-12-06
Updated: 2012-12-06
Packaged: 2017-11-20 10:21:48
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 906
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/584322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowHaloedAngel/pseuds/ShadowHaloedAngel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright, so, I was aiming to do an advent calendar of fics this year, but I took the weekend off at the beginning of the month to recover from NaNoWriMo, and the emotional crisis I had at the end of November, so now I'm playing catch up. I hope to get caught up in the next few days.</p>
<p>I decided to combine the advent calendar idea with the fact that I owe the very lovely and incredibly patient flightinflame about a million fics. Or, you know, at least 21, which would be a belated birthday present. So consider this those fics with interest. All will be dedicated to her, and I'll try to incorporate the prompts she gave me back in May, although I'm still aiming for a Christmas theme. Most are OC and so can't be found here, but fanfic is crossposted here from deviantart.</p></blockquote>





	Flight

**Author's Note:**

  * For [flightinflame](https://archiveofourown.org/users/flightinflame/gifts).



Steve knew that a lot of people really didn't understand what he saw in Tony Stark. The public face of Tony Stark, at least, was well known for being a playboy who would screw anything that breathed (on two legs), with more money than sense, a reckless streak, and someone with a blatant lack of concern for the effect of his actions, his choices, on others. He had a knack for saying the wrong thing - or the right thing, depending on how you perceived the situation, and he was, generally, the definition of asshole. 

He was a hero, too, that much they would acknowledge sometimes, but it was always tongue in cheek. There was never really the outright gratitude that they gave him, and Thor, but in some ways it was better than the outright venom often directed at Bruce and the Hulk. It did seem to get to Tony sometimes, though, in the way the light in eyes faded when people looked away, or the little tell of the way he drummed his fingers and the very corners of his eyes crinnkled when he was not allowed to shake off the reputation he had gained as a child unsure whether he wanted to continue to live, or simply to disappear from the world. 

It was those times Steve would make sure to step between him and the barrage of questions from reporters, taking charge of his team, the same way he always did. And the truth was that while he understood the need for good PR, and he was certainly not about to disobey orders for the sake of a petty, temporary victory, when it would only do long term damage in the end, he still hated what the press did to his team, the way they patronised Natasha, insulted Bruce and Tony... marginalised Clint... it wasn't right. They were a team and people needed to recognise that. However, bearing in mind the tendency of buildings around them to end up slightly damaged when they were saving the world yet again from whatever menace had seen fit to threaten it that time. Having the press on their side could not be overestimated.

Of course, their official relationship was simply team mates, but all the other Avengers, and probably most of SHIELD were aware that Captain America and Iron Man were more than just good friends. It was the other Avengers who best understood why that was. 

Steve Rogers was a good man, an intrinsically good, patient, kind, brave soul. The ideal hero. Tony Stark was a self destructive asshole... who was also the most generous, and patient man any of them had ever met, in a strange way. It was Bruce who had first really appreciated that Tony accepted them for who they were, on individual terms, without demands they could never meet. He had never before had someone accept the Hulk so freely, and differentiate between them. And then he had met Tony, an intellectual equal who respected him. 

Clint and Natasha still kept their distance more or less, but there was never a week that went past without Tony making some kind of upgrade to their equipment to make it better, stronger, to keep them safe. He didn't really do people, but hardware... that was another matter. None of his team would ever be in danger because of a flaw, a malfunction in a piece of hardware that he could fix. 

Thor ate him out of house and home, and Tony joked with him, working to get both of them caught up on pop culture, and never looking down on either Thor or Steve for not getting a reference, instead, working to rectify it - for better or worse. Definitely worse in the case of reality television.

At nights, Steve could still remember the chill of the ice, feel it sinking into his bones, the panic of the plane, hardly in his control as he surrendered everything in a last vain attempt to keep his country safe, to not let the bad guys win. Tony sat up with him, woke him when he screamed, held him while he cried, let him mourn Bucky without judgement, and made hiim coffee after coffee, listening to Steve talk about a time he had never known, a time that belonged to his father, a man he still hated and loved, all at once. 

Steve did his best not to talk about Howard. Tony had heard enough of that before.

Sometimes, in battle, Steve envied Tony just a little bit. He was safe, protected, and graceful, so unapologetically himself, not even vaguely subtle as he flew around in gold and gleaming red. He was left on the ground, directing battle as best he could, processing, planning, adapting, with lives riding on his shoulders, weighing him down with the possibility of their loss. It seemed, thus far though, as if they were somehow charmed to survive.

It was after the battles that he loved most, the adrenaline still coursing through them all as they reunited to celebrate a hard fought victory... it was the moments Tony raised the visor and they shared stolen kisses while the cameras were elsewhere. It was those moments that he didn't feel trapped anymore, not by obligation, or by necessity... it was those moments when he realised just how much loving Tony had freed him, because with Tony, finally, he felt like he could fly.

**Author's Note:**

> Alright, so, I was aiming to do an advent calendar of fics this year, but I took the weekend off at the beginning of the month to recover from NaNoWriMo, and the emotional crisis I had at the end of November, so now I'm playing catch up. I hope to get caught up in the next few days.
> 
> I decided to combine the advent calendar idea with the fact that I owe the very lovely and incredibly patient flightinflame about a million fics. Or, you know, at least 21, which would be a belated birthday present. So consider this those fics with interest. All will be dedicated to her, and I'll try to incorporate the prompts she gave me back in May, although I'm still aiming for a Christmas theme. Most are OC and so can't be found here, but fanfic is crossposted here from deviantart.


End file.
